Chapter 257

A battle requiring immense investment yields immense rewards.

During this battle, most of Qiao Ran's Pokémon experienced a significant level increase, especially Reshiram and Yveltal, which are very effective against certain Ultra Beast; their levels rose several notches compared to before.

Yveltal has now even broken through the level 50 barrier, reaching level 51, not far behind the strongest Zacian. Reshiram, on the other hand, has quickly caught up with the top-tier Pokémon, reaching an astonishing level 45. Although these Ultra Beasts have obvious weaknesses, their strength is not bad, and the experience they provide is considerable. In some ways, they may still be the best "Leveling Material".

"However... I still hope this kind of thing never Encore..."

If he were to level up, Qiao Ran would prefer to choose a more secure approach. Although it might seem like a great benefit now, no one knows what the consequences would be if something went wrong at the time.

A rift that connects directly to the Ultra World and cannot be closed is devastating to the Alola Region.

"... You all worked very hard."

Standing on the grass of the Wild Area, Qiao Ran stroked the head of the Altaria beside him and ruffled its long feathers. In this battle, he did not let Altaria participate in the aerial combat, but instead left her on the island. However, her performance was still quite excellent.

Even Altaria and the others have reached around level 40. Although this is much lower than the Pokémon at the higher level, they are also working hard in their own way.

"Clear--"

The Altaria let out a cry and landed on the ground like a cotton ball.

As the number of Pokémon increases, Qiao Ran can't be with them every moment, but Altaria knows that Qiao Ran is paying attention to every single Pokémon.

Altaria stretched out its cloud-like wings and enveloped Qiao Ran's body. In the legends of the Hoenn Region, Altaria is a Mew Pokémon can sense emotions and possesses blessings and beautiful meanings.

Those Limber wings were Limber than the most comfortable bed, more relaxing than the best massage. Qiao Ran couldn't help but close her eyes slightly—she must have known that she had exhausted herself before, which was why she did this.

Some things don't need explaining, especially between Qiao Ran and the Pokémon. After he closed his Pokémon, he heard a beautiful song, Altaria's signature voice. Unlike other Pokémon that are only good at fighting, Altaria's singing voice is also her signature feature. Even among all the Pokémon in the Wild Area, her singing voice is unique.

"..." Gradually, Qiao Ran had emptied his mind of everything, as if his soul and body had been healed. Limber and warm clouds and feathers enveloped him, and everything felt as beautiful as returning to a river or to his mother's embrace.

"... This kind of ability is really impossible to learn."

"Yeah, I can't learn it."

"Even if you try hard, you can't grow feathers like those."

"Yes, it won't grow."

Latias and Suicune had been peeking for a while, but after watching, they could only sigh. Although they both positioned themselves as Maid, making their character settings somewhat overlapping, at this moment, they felt envious looking at an ordinary Altaria.

Even ordinary Pokémon these abilities that other Pokémon do not have; even those living in legends cannot learn these special abilities.

When Qiao Ran woke up from his dream again, everything seemed to have changed once more. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and subconsciously asked a question.

How long did I sleep?

"About half an hour."

A pleasant voice came from above, as clear and melodious as a silver bell. However—although the voice was very pleasant, a hint of confusion flashed through Qiao Ran's mind. Wait, whose voice is that?

I don't think I have --

Qiao Ran opened her eyes wide and looked up, only to see a girl with long blue hair that shimmered with Golden light, wearing a cloud-like dress, and a signature long ahoge on her head, with a sweet and charming smile on her face.

Pure, beautiful, gorgeous, everything

Every word that can be used to describe her can be applied to her. Although she looks like a young girl, her eyes and expressions are full of tenderness that can make people fall in love with her.

"Qixi Festival... Bluebird...?"

Qiao Ran recognized her at a glance. Her long, thick hair and cloud-like clothing had already given her away. However, to Qiao Ran's surprise, despite being Flash Individual, she didn't transform into a gold-plated figure after Humanoid Transformation. Instead, she reverted to her original blue color, with the Golden accents becoming faint Golden specks, giving her a unique kind of beauty.

And now, the spot where he was lying had changed from inside the wing to on the other person's knees—

"I didn't expect it to be you this time." Qiao Ran had originally thought that other Pokémon there first.

After all, the Altaria hasn't appeared for a very, very long time...

"I didn't expect that either." The Altaria blinked, seemingly a little confused, but still managed a smile. Although she didn't know why, it seemed quite nice.

The other sisters were all happy to have become human. She might not have understood it before, but after becoming human, she seemed to finally understand.

Besides being able to interact with her owner in ways she hadn't done before, she also noticed a slight change in her voice; she could now express sounds she couldn't produce before.

Perhaps, we can accomplish even more.

Just like Dianxi, even if she can't reach the top in battle, she can still strive in other areas. As a Pokémon living in the Wild Area, she can realize her value not only in battle.

"The Altaria?"

Qiao Ran looked at her with some confusion. She didn't know why the child had suddenly spaced out while talking, with a smile on her face. She had no idea what had happened.

Is this child... a little bit clueless?

"So beautiful..."

"Yes, this outfit is really interesting."

Altaria, after Humanoid Transformation, is welcomed by many Pokémon. Some special Pokémon on Humanoid Transformation. Of course, they usually don't wear the outfits that come with them, but tend to choose some that they like. After all, it often happens that the outfits don't suit their taste, so it's better to carefully select the ones that suit them best.

Qiao Ran watched their discussion but didn't join in. As Trainer, he was happy to see the better the relationship between the Pokémon, especially since Altaria was such a cute little creature. Even just looking at her smile, he couldn't bring himself to dislike her.

After taking a basic look at the situation in the Wild Area, Qiao Ran felt it was about time to leave. He didn't actually plan to stay for too long this time—although he had already been staying with the Altaria for quite a while.

After all, there was another very important matter waiting for him to handle, and in the Real World, there were probably several people waiting for him.

I haven't been back for so long... I hope they're alright...

Qiao Ran muttered to himself. In fact, before leaving the Real World, Qiao Ran had told them, just in case, that he might not be able to return temporarily due to some circumstances, since something similar had happened some time ago.

No one knows how the plan will change due to unforeseen circumstances. He has no way of Future Sight, so he can only adjust it little by little as things unfold.

"Rotom, we should go too."

"Okay, Rotom."

Rotom swayed his body, expertly preparing to open the door to the Real World.

During this break, Qiao Ran couldn't help but mutter something to himself.

"... Speaking of which, why haven't you taken on Humanoid Transformation yet?"

Every time another Pokémon triggers its Humanoid Transformation ability, Qiao Ran always thinks of Rotom. They spend a lot of time together, and theoretically, Pokémon. If Humanoid Transformation is really based on affinity, there shouldn't be any reaction yet, right?

"I don't know Rotom." Rotom swayed slightly. "I can't understand, I can't understand."

Every time Qiao Ran asked this question, she would always say that she didn't know, and then brush it off.

"Sigh." Qiao Ran had also thought about this question, but he might have a more cruel answer. Perhaps Rotom did meet the requirements for Humanoid Transformation, or perhaps she was just special and therefore couldn't.

Suddenly, just as the two were talking and preparing to leave through the Portal, the Altaria appeared beside Qiao Ran with light steps.

"Master, next time you come, could you let Rotom Download some..."

The Altaria's voice is soft, yet full of layers and rhythm, even in its Humanoid Transformation.

Even afterward, her distinctive features remained perfectly displayed, with her long blue hair swaying gently behind her, making her look like an elf from a fantasy world.

However, Qiao Ran was still somewhat surprised after hearing the request from the Altaria.

What do you need the video of the song for?

Altaria's request wasn't for nice clothes or anything like that; it was simply that Rotom Download some popular songs and performances from the internet when it went to that world. Although Altaria itself hadn't tried going online, some of the Pokémon could take Humanoid Transformation had brought back some novel information when they went out with Qiao Ran, like this internet... It seems that its master has been working on this kind of thing lately.

Although Qiao Ran was somewhat surprised by the request made by the Altaria, after glancing at it, he seemed to have suddenly realized something.

Yes.

Can't the characteristics of the Altaria be retained even after it's Humanoid Transformation?

"Okay, I'll have Rotom prepare it for you when I get there, and I'll also get you some other electronic devices."

Qiao Ran patted the Altaria on the shoulder with a strange smile on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely make you a famous Songstress."

The ahoge (cowlick) on the Altaria curled into the shape of a question mark, "?"

A songstress...?

What is that?

Back in the Real World, Qiao Ran arrived at the familiar living room, but didn't see any familiar faces inside.

It's already evening, haven't they returned yet?

"Rotom, did they get angry and run away?" Qiao Ran joked cautiously. Running away was impossible; after all, this was Sabrina's own house. As for why no one was here at this hour... was something special going on?

"Rotom is connecting to WiFi, Rotom is connecting to WiFi, please do not disturb..." Rotom floated in the air, focused on connecting to WiFi, and did not answer Qiao Ran's mutterings.

"Whoosh--"

Just then, Qiao Ran heard a very obvious sound of water coming from behind him, from the bathroom. He turned around and cautiously approached the bathroom. He was about to ask what was going on inside when he saw the bathroom door slowly open, and a blonde beauty appeared in the doorway, her hair glistening with wetness.

"Ah... you're back?"

--Bamboo Cynthia.

She looked at Qiao Ran with some surprise, not even noticing her own current situation.

Wearing only a bath towel, she stood frozen at the doorway, looking as if she wanted to continue chatting.

Could it be that she didn't pay much attention because Qiao Ran and the others had been away these past few days? Or perhaps she simply doesn't care much about these things?

"That..."

Qiao Ran stood rooted to the spot, her gaze drawn to the skin beneath the towel. Following the slender legs upwards, the body, though wrapped only in a thin towel, still displayed its graceful curves. This mature charm and Captivate once again challenged Qiao Ran's worldview.

Perhaps sensing Qiao Ran's strange gaze, Cynthia finally couldn't help but cough lightly.

"Cough."

For the first time, she was actually a little unaccustomed to it.

"I... I'll go tidy up first."

Cynthia spoke hurriedly and moved somewhat frantically as she fled into Qiao Ran's previous room. Qiao Ran wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he actually saw a faint blush on the face of this Sinnoh Champion.

So... she also sensed that something was off about this situation?

"Um... cough... why are you the only one here? Where did everyone else go?"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Cynthia glanced at Qiao Ran out of the corner of her eye. She seemed to be feeling a little uncomfortable because of what had happened before.

In her room, she spent a little time tidying her clothes and drying her hair. She had regained her usual dashing appearance, but her mindset had undergone a huge change.

"They're still at the Aether House in the Alola Region, right? I didn't tell them; I came here secretly by myself."

Qiao Ran smiled mysteriously, "After all, there are many other people over there. I'm not ready to tell them about my ability to travel between worlds."

"You did nothing wrong." Cynthia didn't think there was anything wrong with Qiao Ran's behavior. The ability to travel between worlds was enough to touch a nerve with most people. In a more peaceful era, it might even become a reason for certain forces to fight each other.

"By the way, where's Sabrina? Hasn't she come back yet?" After finishing his own business, Qiao Ran asked a question that had been bothering him. He had been in the Real World for a while now, but Sabrina hadn't shown up. Based on past experience, she should have already gone home from work and was sprawled on the sofa scrolling through her phone reading her news.

"Her Gym Leader Election is about to begin, it seems to be the day after tomorrow," Cynthia answered Qiao Ran's question.

Sabrina isn't here right now, not because she's late from work, but for Heavy Slam reason.

"To be in better shape, she'll be staying at the Gym alone for the next few days. But we don't need to worry about her; as a Gym Leader, Sabrina is quite strong."

Cynthia smiled gently and commented on Sabrina's abilities.

Although these words didn't seem strange at first glance, and Qiao Ran knew that Cynthia didn't mean any harm by saying them, Qiao Ran still felt a strange sense of unease.

What does it mean to be a Gym Leader...? Isn't Gym Leader enough?

Damn it, is this the composure of Sinnoh Champion?

"So, what has happened to you during this time?"

Cynthia gently brushed the long hair from her forehead and gazed at Qiao Ran with her sharp, inquisitive eyes.

In the past few days, it would be impossible not to worry about Qiao Ran and the others. Whether as an outstanding junior or a companion who could talk to her about myths and legends, after that night, Qiao Ran's position in Cynthia's heart had reached an irreplaceable level.

She saw in him a love for Pokémon, a passion that even surpassed that of outstanding juniors like Mei and Mei.